The Business 4.0 Initiative

As partners of the initiative, we see the Business 4.0 Initiative as a tool to support businesses and employees in all sectors on their digitalisation journey. Furthermore, the ‘Business 4.0 Initiative’ is to increase Baden-Württemberg’s visibility as an international premium location for the digitalised economy.

The Business 4.0 Roadmap

Baden-Württemberg is one of the world’s most successful economic regions and already has a considerable track record in the digitalisation of its economy. However, the digitalisation of the economy is also a permanent task for our federal state since it will continue to trigger tremendous changes in the economy and the working world in the years to come. This applies to our federal state’s medium-sized businesses as well as large-scale enterprises in all sectors of industry. The digital transformation will create new opportunities for the economy, for instance, for new products and services, new value chains, efficient production and innovation processes as well as new business fields and business models. What’s more, digitalisation can open up new opportunities in the working world by generating and protecting good and reliable jobs, enhancing the work-life balance and creating equal opportunities. However, businesses and employees are also facing major challenges. Production processes and value chains that up to now were state of the art must be re-thought and adjusted as required, economic structures will change, completely new competitors will enter the market and job descriptions will change.

All the stakeholders are well aware of the fact that future employment and wealth in Baden-Württemberg are strongly dependent upon the successful use of the opportunities of digitalisation and the mastering of the challenges it entails. Our strong businesses and their skilled workforce give cause for confidence and optimism when tackling the digital transformation. This was what motivated Dr. Hoffmeister-Kraut, Minister of Economic Affairs, Labour and Housing, MP, to launch the ‘Business 4.0 Initiative’. Together we developed a ‘Business 4.0 Roadmap’ which is presented to the general public today.

We all agree that the digitalisation of the economy calls for close co-operation between all stakeholders. Trust-based co-operation between all stakeholders, i.e. enterprises. chambers, associations, unions, academia and politics, can set the course for a successful digital transformation. However, the digitalisation of the economy can only be a success if all stakeholders contribute towards this end in their respective areas of responsibility. One aim of the initiative is to increase the transparency of initiatives and support programmes for digitalising the economy.

In the ‘Economy 4.0 Roadmap’, we identified ten fields of action which we want to work on in order boost the federal state’s digitalisation of its economy. Based on an inventory of activities already in place, we decided to implement nine concrete measures to be launched soon.